Things Unsaid
by FaeQueen84
Summary: There are things they don't talk about.  Rated for safety.  wish i could add an extra category.  hurt/friendship/romance  Naruto/Sakura


Things Unsaid

Sometimes words aren't needed.

Disclaimer: Don't own 'em, I'm just a spoony bard.

There were things they just didn't talk about. The subjects were there, hanging over their heads like the proverbial elephant, but neither acknowledged the issues nor did they press them upon the other. However, while they never really talked about these things, somehow they still understood.

They didn't talk about Uchiha Sauske.

They spoke _of_ him, but not really _about_ him. His leaving het village had hurt them. It hurt Naruto, who mourned the loss of a treasured friend. It hurt Sakura, losing someone she felt _something_ for. However, it hurt Naruto more. It hurt more to him, because Naruto loved Sakura, he would reach into the heavens and pluck a star from the sky no matter how impossible the task seemed, if she asked him to. The betrayal that stabbed in his heart was a double ache, his own pain, and the pain he felt inside for Sakura's pain. Naruto swore he would bring their former team mate back to Konoha.

These days it had a different meaning than when Naruto had first proclaimed it to be his goal. With so much betrayal and pain in his wake, it was unspoken that when they brought Sauske back to Konoha, he would either already be dead, or be brought back only to be executed by the laws of justice for his crimes. There would never be a Team 7 again. They knew this in the bottom of their hearts. The bitter tang of this truth left an empty ache in their hearts.

They didn't talk about Naruto's childhood.

It hurt to admit that he'd grown up un-loved. He could never tell her how much it truly did ache inside. Until he was twelve, until he'd graduated from the academy, and Umino Iruka, his academy sensei, no one had cared for him in any way. He'd had acquaintances through the school, yes, but no real _friends,_ no one to accept him for who _he_ was, and not the Kyuubi within. The Fourth had looked out for him, making sure he'd had an apartment, enough food to eat and that no one spoke of his taboo beginning, but no one had looked after him when he was sick, or had night mares.

He's always heard the whispers of the older generation, their hatred of him stabbing at his heart like a knife. Some days he'd thought he would cry himself to death. They called him a monster, a murder, a demon, when all he really was, was a small and lonely boy. He'd known nothing of the nine-tailed-fox inside him then. The villagers' irrational fear and hatred of him had confused him, made him feel empty inside, invisible, unloved, and unwanted.

He couldn't find the words to tell her how hard it had been. Sometimes he thought he would explode holding it all inside him, but he couldn't share his ache with her. He didn't want her to cry for him. He was afraid she would look at him different, that she would find him weak and pathetic. He hid his pain from her in cheesy smiles and idiotic behavior.

Sakura was afraid to ask, not wishing to pry. His smiles didn't always reach his eyes. He sometimes flinched away from contact, and rarely ever complained of injury, sometimes even apologizing for even needing medical help at all.

They didn't talk about Sakura's parents.

She didn't remember her father; he had died when the Kyuubi attacked. Her mother was a harsh woman, demanding perfection from her daughter. She had disapproved of Sakura's dream to become a kunoichi from the very beginning, stating it was an unladylike profession. Her dislike of her daughter's duty as shinobi increased when she was placed on Naruto's team.

Her mother had tried to belittle the Will of Fire out of her in the beginning. She told her that she hadn't the strength, or that she would never be good enough to hold her own. Sakura endured hours of ranting about her 'no good team mate'. Sometimes loud enough for said teammate to hear while waiting outside for her. The treatment had eased off briefly when Naruto left to train with the Toad Sage Jiraiya. However, when Sakura made her second attempt at Chuunin, the argument that followed had her packing her bags before the test results were in.

They didn't talk about death.

It was the fate of any shinobi, regardless of affiliation. There would one day be a mission that they would not return from. It was true that some shinobi retired from field work before it happened, but even teaching was a mission in itself. In battle the exhilarating fear of death could either keep you on your toes, or cause you to freeze. In the latter case, you were bound to die.

It still nagged at them. Neither of them wished to die. Even though it was an accepted fate, the terror of the idea clawed at their insides. Sometimes the fear chased away all good dreams, leaving only nightmares in its wake. Sometimes it made those tiny empty spots in your life and heart where someone _should _be a vacuous hole you couldn't escape.

They didn't talk about the Kyuubi.

He was twelve years old when he found out about the demon contained within him. The initial shock had been softened by his graduation to gennin. Once faced with the truth, it explained the behavior of the villagers. They had never seen the difference between the monster fox and the person that was Naruto.

It came to him in dreams sometimes, images of fire, blood and death. The power of the beast's chakra sometimes an uncontrollable force, leaking out of the edges of his seal. He had lost control three times, and only once was he able to reign in the horrible creature before it injured someone he cared about. It frightened him, left him shaking and in tears when he remembered what he'd almost done. It was a burden that had been placed on him without his knowledge or consent. Far too heavy a burden to carry alone, but that's what he did.

They didn't talk about the future.

It was too unsure, too fluid. Dreams could be so easily shattered. Their line of work didn't often cal for rocking chairs and fat grandbabies in the horizon. Far too often it ended in bloodshed, tears and guilt. The promise of tomorrow could be far too easily a lie. They lived for the _now_, pretending that they were invincible. Prayers and hope pushing them forwards, towards their dreams.

They didn't talk about love.

It had such a fluid definition. It could describe affection between friends or family, a degree of fondness for certain foods, and indicated a softness dedicated to one individual. It was a frightening emotion that could make bonds between people stronger, or if unreturned, leave an emotional scar deep enough it would never fully heal.

It was common knowledge how he felt about her. His devotion to her was forever unwavering. Regardless of his fears and doubts she would ever feel the same. There were times he thought maybe, just maybe, she did. Sometimes she would look at him with an unreadable soft expression, her cheeks would pink, and she would look away. On cold missions, when they would double together for warmth, he would hold her loosely in his arms while she slept, despite how he wished he could gather her to him.

They didn't talk about _us_.

The concept seemed far-fetched and ridiculous. However, the two of them often sought out each other's company. Sakura never dated any of the young shinobi who had come to admire the kunoichi. Naruto was oblivious to any girls who stared after him with a blush on their face as he walked past. They were each other's shoulder to cry on, and shelter from the storm of life. Their companionship was a lily among the thorns, something beautiful and stable in a world of tragic chaos.

No, there were many things they didn't talk about. They were blind to their own situation, denying the glaring truth that stared them in the face at every turn. Their friends watched them dance around each other in the intricate waltz of those who haven't realized they've found their match, with general amusement.

One of these days, they were going to have a long conversation.

A/N: I noticed that some of my formatting seems to vanish when I post. I find it annoying really since I had little breaks in certain spots to indicate a change in _something_. I hope their loss hasn't confused anyone.

I thought I'd not for people that I FUCKING HATE UCHIHA SAUSKE! He's a backstabbing little bitch. He doesn't deserve friends like Naruto and Sakura. This seems a bit angsty to me, but it felt like it had to come out somewhere. Enjoy.

And reviews are like cookies, I love 'em


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